Signs have gone up at several of the Waikawa Beach entrances asking us to watch out for the dangerous and toxic invasive pest plant called sea spurge. (My emphasis below):
Have you seen this weed on our coast?
A serious threat to New Zealand's beaches
Sea spurge is an unwanted organism. This introduced pest could damage our sand dunes and harm our coastal environments. It's likely to have arrived on ocean currents from Australia and may also be at other beaches in the area.
We need your help to find it so we can stamp it out.
If you think you've seen a sea spurge plant, contact Biosecurity New Zealand's pest and disease hotline:
0800 80 99 66Don't disturb the plants - they have a toxic sap - but take a photo if you can and note the location. GPS co-ordinates are an added bonus.
Thanks for helping us in this important work.
Biosecurity New Zealand pest and disease line 0800 80 99 66 biosecurity-govt.nz/seaspurge
See also Sea Spurge for further details and photos of the plant, including:
In 2021 a dangerous plant called Sea Spurge was found at Waikawa Beach in the dunes north of the river. It has established in an area 10 metres by 10 metres.
